Editing Dan Dare (section)

===''Eagle''===
[[File:DAN DARE - geograph.org.uk - 97560.jpg|right|thumb|upright|Bust of Dan Dare in [[Southport]]]]
<!--  Commented out: [[Image:Dan Dare - Operation Moss comic panel.png|thumb|A Frank Hampson & Don Harley page from the 1959 ''Eagle Annual No. 8'': Dan Dare in ''Operation Moss''.]] -->
Dan Dare appeared on the cover of the first issue of the weekly comic strip magazine, ''[[Eagle (comic)|Eagle]]'', on 14 April 1950. There were two large colour pages of his story per issue. The artwork was of a high quality, the product of artists in a studio called the Old Bakehouse in Churchtown, [[Southport]], [[Lancashire]]. The Eagle's founder, the Rev [[Marcus Morris (publisher)|John Marcus Harston Morris]], was vicar of the Southport church of St James at the time. It had scale models of spaceships, and [[model (art)|models]] in costume as reference for the artists. Occasionally, ''Eagle'' incorporated "[[centrefold]]s" of the fictional spaceships, such as Dan's ship the ''Anastasia'', reminiscent of cutaway drawings of aircraft in aviation magazines or even in ''Eagle'' itself. The storylines were long and complex, sometimes lasting more than a year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/secret-history-dan-dare-manchesters-12895375|title=The secret history of Dan Dare, Manchester's own comic book hero|first=Paul|last=Britton|date=April 14, 2017|website=men}}</ref> Later, artwork was produced at a studio in Hampson's house in [[Epsom]], [[Surrey]], where his production line techniques were continued.

Attention was paid to scientific plausibility, the promising young writer [[Arthur C. Clarke]] (later a [[science fiction]] luminary)<ref name="Future Perfect">{{Citation | last = Gorton | first = Mark | title = Future Perfect | url = http://thelancashiremagazine.co.uk/index.php/history/50-futureperfect | publisher = thelancashiremagazine.co.uk | date = 18 February 2010 | access-date = 23 June 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516093718/http://thelancashiremagazine.co.uk/index.php/history/50-futureperfect |archive-date=16 May 2010}}</ref> acting as science and plot adviser for the first six months of strips. The stories were set mostly on planets of the [[Solar System]] presumed to have extraterrestrial life and alien inhabitants, common in science fiction before space probes of the 1960s proved the most likely worlds were lifeless. The first story begins with Dan Dare as pilot of the first successful flight to [[Venus]].

Hampson's working habits twice caused him to suffer serious breakdowns in health, leaving his assistants to continue the series. The first occurred after two episodes of "Marooned on Mercury" (1952), which was taken over by Harold Johns, from scripts by [[Samaritans (charity)|Samaritans]] founder and clergyman Rev. [[Chad Varah]], who had known Marcus Morris in Southport. Hampson returned to start the following story, "Operation Saturn" (1953), but suffered a relapse after 20 weeks. Principal art was taken over by new chief assistant Don Harley, who completed the story and its successor, "Prisoners of Space" (the only series to feature extensive work by an artist outside the studio, finishes being provided by Desmond Walduck).

Hampson returned full-time in 1955, starting "The Man from Nowhere" trilogy, which took Dan and his companions outside the Solar System for the first time.

The quality of the strip and its popularity remained high throughout the 1950s. In the late fifties ''Eagle'''s new owners objected to the cost of the studio and the complexity of the stories. The conflict caused Hampson to leave the strip in 1959, in the middle of a long plot that saw Dan searching an alien planet for his long-lost father. Production fell to [[Frank Bellamy]], whose modern three-dimensional style contrasted with Hampson's, despite efforts to smooth the transition by alternating the two pages of the weekly strip between Bellamy and the team of Don Harley and Keith Watson, and freelance artist Bruce Cornwell, who had been part of Hampson's studio at the beginning.

====Characters====
Dan Dare was surrounded by a varying cast, initially:
* '''Dan Dare''' (full name [[Colonel]] Daniel McGregor Dare) was chief pilot of the Interplanet Space Fleet.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/physics/research/astro/people/stanway/sciencefiction/cosmicstories/pilots_of_the|title = Pilots of the Future}}</ref> He was born in [[Manchester]], England, in 1967 and educated at [[Rossall School]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dandare.org.uk/DanDareWho1.htm|title=DanDare.org.uk – 1950s and 60s Who's Who (Transcribed)|website=www.dandare.org.uk}}</ref> Although not a super-hero, he sometimes pulled off exceptional piloting and often proved extraordinarily lucky. He excelled at [[jujutsu]], but he most often found non-violent solutions to predicaments. He was bound by a sense of honour, never lied, and would rather die than break his word.
:His lean-faced character was recognisable by the outer tips of his [[eyebrows]], which were wavy. His uniform looked like a typical [[British Army]] type (Frank Hampson used his own World War II army uniform as a model), though a lighter green. In place of British rank insignia it had coloured stripes and circles on the shoulderboards. His cap badge was a vertical, antique rocketship in a circle with one five-pointed star on either side. Initially, Dare had been intended to be portrayed as a [[chaplain]].
* '''Digby''' (Albert Fitzwilliam Digby) was Dan's [[Wigan]]-born [[Batman (army)|batman]]. Rotund and sometimes bumbling, he provided comic relief. He was fiercely loyal and the only character apart from Dan to appear in every story. His favourite recreation was sleeping and he was fond of traditional English food. His nearest relative was his Aunt Anastasia, after whom Dan named his spaceship.
* '''Sir Hubert Guest''', Controller of the Space Fleet, sent Dan on missions, and occasionally joined him. He was a veteran pilot, having been on the first mission to the Moon and led the first mission to Mars. He was based on Hampson's father.
* '''Professor Peabody''' (Prof. Jocelyn Mabel Peabody), the only major female, was the brains behind many of the team's most inventive plans.
* '''Hank Hogan''' and '''Pierre Lafayette''', stereotypically [[United States|American]] and [[France|French]], were two of the Fleet's best pilots and an inseparable double-act. Pierre was primarily a pilot, Hank more a mechanic.
* '''Sondar''' was a Treen, a reptilian inhabitant of northern [[Venus]]. Originally a servant of [[the Mekon]], he reformed after Dan spared his life during a traumatic episode that also caused his first experience of strong emotion, which the Treens suppressed. He became governor of northern Venus when the planet was placed under [[United Nations|UN]] rule at the end of the first story, but nevertheless joined Dan on later adventures. He was also a talented spacecraft designer, and designed Dan's personal spaceship.
* '''[[The Mekon]]''', super-intelligent ruler of the Treens, was Dan's archenemy. He escaped at the end of each story to return with an even more inventive scheme for the conquest of Earth.
* '''Christopher 'Flamer' Spry''', freckle-faced student at 'Astral' space academy, who accompanies Dan Dare on many later missions. Flamer was based on Hampson's son, Peter Hampson. No forename for 'Flamer' was ever given in the comic strip itself.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7376571.stm Dan Dare 'inspired UK innovation'] ''[[BBC News]]''</ref>
* '''Lex O'Malley''', bearded [[Irish people|Irish]] [[submarine]] commander, who accompanies Dan Dare on later missions.

With the exception of Digby, all the supporting cast were dropped after 1961, although Guest, O'Malley, Hogan and Sondar made occasional reappearances. In 1963, Keith Watson and writer David Motton were allowed to introduce a new supporting cast, who remained with the series throughout the rest of its run:
*'''Colonel Wilf Banger''', handlebar moustache, pilot and designer, an impulsive and volatile character. Banger designed and built the Tempus Frangit.
*'''Technician Nutter Cobb''', red-haired, broken-nosed. Banger's assistant, a Digby to his Dare.
*'''Major Shillitoe Spence''', balding, pencil moustache. A prim, fussy administrator.
*'''Xel''', first encountered in ''Operation Time Trap'' in 1963. Xel is another enemy in the mould of the Mekon. Having stowed away with Dare at the end of his first appearance, in the next story Xel allies with the Mekon but the two fall out. Xel would make regular appearances through the 60s before being finally captured.

====Vehicles====
Spacecraft of various designs were presented as the product of inhabitants of various planets. The vehicle most identified with Dan was the winged ''Anastasia''. Designed by Sondar, it employed both Venusian and Earth space drives. Later, an alien ship was adopted and renamed the ''Zyl-bat''. There was also an experimental time-travelling ship called ''Tempus Frangit'' ([[Latin]]: ''it breaks time'' or ''time breaks'').

There were land and air vehicles – in the first stories, cars conform to styling of the time, while some flying machines were based on the design of [[helicopter]]s of the mid-twentieth century. Also of note was Lex O'Malley's ship, the ''Poseidon'', a versatile craft that could operate as a [[jetfoil]] as well as a submarine.

[[London Transport Executive|London Transport]] used overhead [[monorail]]s and helibuses in early stories. Ground transport cars were also drawn with [[gyroscopes]] and single wheels.

Venusian vehicles were depicted as being technologically more advanced than those of Earth. South of the Flamebelt the Therons had applied their technology to peaceful agricultural purposes including dedicated agricultural land and flying machines. North of the Flamebelt the Treens perfected low friction/low energy consumption means of transport including vacuum tube transport (Electrosenders) for long distance travel.

====Spaceports====
There is evidence that the Spacefleet spaceport on Earth is west of [[Formby]] in [[Lancashire]] on a semicircle of land built into the [[Irish Sea]] by [[landfill]].

====Spacesuits====
Spacefleet spacesuits had a corselet plate like on [[Siebe Gorman]] [[standard diving suit]]s. Their suit had no [[life-support]] backpack; the life-support gear was between two layers of the helmet.

All or most Dan Dare comic pictures were drawn from models or posed humans. As a result, the Spacefleet [[spacesuit]]s in space hang in folds like the [[boilersuit]] in which the models posed and show no sign of gas pressure. After the first Venus war, Spacefleet spacesuits had propulsor backpacks copied from a Treen or Theron design.

Some other spacesuits such as Blasco's have life-support backpacks.

====1960s====
In 1960 artwork was taken over by Frank Bellamy, Don Harley, [[Keith Watson (artist)|Keith Watson]], Gerald Palmer, with Bruce Cornwell, and the look changed, with the colourful, rounded rocket ships replaced by angular silver craft, and changes to the space suits and insignia. The changes were never wholeheartedly taken up, however, and the look was erratic from then on. In 1962 the strip was removed from the front to the inside of the comic, in black and white, and was drawn by Keith Watson. Over the remaining years the strip varied in format and quality, eventually returning to the front page in colour, until it ended in 1967 with Dan retiring to become Space Fleet controller. Strips from the 1950s were reprinted until 1969, when ''Eagle'' merged with ''[[Lion (comic)|Lion]]''. For a while the reprints continued in black and white in ''Lion''.